Category Archives: television

I wanted to “interrupt” this blog to share with you my “Top 5” Super Bowl commercials from this year. Why would I do such a thing? Well, because when I registered my blog at WordPress, I didn’t give you the password. This means, I get to interrupt my blog any time I want for fun stuff like this. Plus, I couldn’t choose just one this year. I liked a lot of them. So, without further adieu, I present to you my “Top 5” favorite, Super Bowl commercials from Super Bowl 45.

#5 – NFL Best Fans Ever!

#4 – Doritos – House Sitting!

#3 – Snickers – Logging!

#2 – Volkswagen – The Force!

#1 – Chrysler – Imported from Detroit!

There you have it. My top 5, favorite Super Bowl commercials from this year.

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For a long time, I have refrained from putting onto “paper,” my thoughts about LOST. Probably the fear of getting it wrong and looking like a complete dork, has contributed to this. LOST is now beginning the big descent. They are within 10 shows of the finale. I am very torn at this point. I don’t want it to end, but I also want the answer. I want to know the intricacies of what made this show tick and what made it such a national phenomenon. I want the answer to the numbers and what they mean. Will anyone, ever, be able to create a show with such depth and amazing character development? Highly unlikely in my opinion. For those of you who are already confused, I suggest sitting down with Netflix, begin at season 1, and just start watching.

I wish I could say with 100% accuracy that there was a “Christian” undertone to the show. My guess is that ultimately it won’t be as much “Christian,” as much as “spiritual.” Having said that, this past week’s episode, not bothering to mention countless others, really drives home some deeply “Christian” thoughts to me.

Jack Shepherd

Take for instance the scene with Jack and Richard. (Spoiler alert – if you haven’t seen this week’s episode, don’t read any further) So Richard is this immortal character. He never ages and apparently, can’t die. He walks into this giant ship in the middle of the island. He tells Jack he is going in there to die. Jack follows him in, along with Hurley. Richard tells Jack that because of Jacob’s touch, he can not die. Apparently, he has tried to kill himself before because he says that it won’t work. So he is going to have Jack do it. The conversation leads to Jack lighting a stick of dynamite, sitting on a table right next to Richard.

The fuse is lit and begins to make its way toward the stick of dynamite. One character has already met his Maker from this dynamite and Hurley is still picking pieces of him out of his clothes. :) Anyway, Jack sits down and begins to have a conversation with Richard while the fuse is burning. Jack is now convinced that Jacob has brought him here for a reason. Apparently, seeing his childhood home in a “magic” mirror has him convinced he was supposed to be there. Remember, Jack and Locke had debated many times about how they ended up on the island. It was Locke who was originally in the camp of faith and destiny. Jack was in the camp of science and gravity as to why they were there. Through many episodes and a lot of pain, Jack is beginning to realize, he is supposed to be on the island. So he tells Richard that there’s no way the dynamite is going to explode because he can’t die either. The fuse gets right down to the last inch (or less) and goes out. No explosion. Richard goes on living, as does Jack. Richard is now convinced and will most likely become Jack’s new right-hand man.

Richard Alpert

So why bother telling you all of that? Here’s the spiritual parallel to us. Jack has made many mistakes; so many in fact that he has attempted to run away from his “destiny,” his purpose for being on the island. His running took him clear back home where he experienced nothing but misery. Yet, as Jacob continues to work behind the scenes, Jack finds himself being drawn back to the island, to his purpose.

I see this in many instances, probably the most popular being the story of Jonah. A guy running from everything he knows deep down is right, but has too many other issues to pursue what is right. So he runs, runs as far as he can from his purpose, that being a trip to Nineveh. As he runs, he experiences nothing but misery. A major sea storm, a bunch of sailors who chuck him overboard and from there, nothing but a bunch of large fish mucus and vomit. Not really a thrilling picture.

But this is exactly how God works in our lives. We butcher the plan. We run from God. We call it anything in the book, anything other than a purpose or destiny. We invent reasons to run away from our calling. We do our best to get away from it in pursuit of what we actually think is best for our lives. So we run from God. We leave the island. We throw our purpose away.

It is at this point that many people start getting confused. This is not the part where God’s wrath comes into play and He starts smiting people. This is the part where God’s grace comes into play. This is the part where, even though Jack experiences some rough times and so do we, God begins to draw us back to His purpose for our life. “We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back.”

And while we run, God in His all sufficient grace, uses our experiences in life to redirect us back to His purposes. He brings us back to the island. Through all of our mistakes, God redeems us and uses our lives to accomplish His will.

LOST might just be another TV show to some of you, but to me, it’s one of the most beautifully constructed, images of the battle between Good & Evil and how God will ultimately accomplish His purposes. The LOST producers don’t even have to go that far or even come out and say that. But I am beginning to take something away from the show that is ultimately deepening my faith in the God who loves me, has a purpose for me, has given His all for me and is continually redeeming me and bringing me back into His will. Now that’s exciting!